Head of Communications & Engagement

Convergent Research

4d • $111,000 - $165,000 • Remote

About The Position

Convergent Research is a non-profit science studio that pioneers the Focused Research Organization (FRO) model, creating infrastructure to accelerate breakthrough scientific research. FROs are an innovative operating model designed for rapid iteration and high-throughput learning, with Convergent providing funding and operational support. The organization currently supports 13 active FROs across various scientific fields and is seeking a Head of Communications & Engagement to lead its communications function. This role will focus on building the communications capabilities of the FRO portfolio and managing Convergent's internal and digital communications. The primary responsibility (approximately 85%) will be to empower FRO teams with media strategy, audience understanding, public voice development, and press preparation through workshops, coaching, and resource connection. The remaining 15% will involve managing Convergent's internal channels and coordinating with external agencies for brand storytelling and media. The ideal candidate is a senior communications generalist who can both coach and execute, is PR-savvy, operationally disciplined, comfortable with complexity, resourceful, and adaptable.

Requirements

• Senior communications generalist with functional ownership instincts, having led or owned a communications function.
• Understanding of narrative, media relations, digital channels, brand, internal comms, and operational infrastructure.
• Ability to teach and coach others in communications strategy and media readiness.
• PR-savvy and media-strategic, with the ability to translate complex scientific work into compelling stories.
• Operationally disciplined, managing editorial calendars, comms pipelines, and vendor timelines.
• Comfortable with complexity and managing relationships with multiple independent organizations.
• Resourceful self-starter, able to figure things out, build workflows, and use AI tools effectively.
• Resilient and adaptable, able to navigate feedback and differing opinions while maintaining progress.
• Experience with AI tools for content generation, summarization, and workflow automation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with scientific founders or in a science-adjacent field.

Responsibilities

• Teach FRO teams how to develop a media and communications strategy, including audience mapping, outcome prioritization, and content/channel planning.
• Coach FRO CEOs and scientific leaders on media readiness, preparing them to interact with journalists and develop their public voice.
• Serve as the primary communications resource for FRO teams, assisting with communications questions, needs, and problems, and connecting them to curated vendor and consultant resources.
• Curate and manage the external vendor and consultant network, building and maintaining a roster of vetted communications vendors for PR, video production, design, and science writing.
• Own Convergent's internal and FRO-facing communications, including managing the newsletter, FRO update digest, and internal knowledge base, and automating systems for sustainability.
• Manage Convergent's owned digital channels, including website maintenance, social media coordination, and managing the editorial calendar for the Convergent blog and announcements.
• Coordinate press and media for FRO and Convergent announcements, managing logistics for press releases, media briefings, and launch announcements.
• Protect the Convergent brand across the portfolio by ensuring external communications meet quality and messaging standards.
• Leverage AI tools for newsletter generation, content summarization, and workflow automation to scale communications reach.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with up to a 6% 401k match
• Excellent medical insurance options (10-20 plans, employee and family premiums largely covered)
• Excellent dental and vision insurance (employee and family premiums largely covered)
• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, and voluntary supplemental insurance options
• 19 holidays (including a full week off at the end of the year)
• 3 weeks PTO with tenure increases
• Separate allotments for sick and parental leave
• Generous fertility benefits
• Childcare reimbursement
• Education and professional development benefits
• Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities
• 3x/year offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet teammates in person
• Support for fully remote work

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed